Madden Lake Fishing near Ely, Minnesota

• Overview

  Madden Lake is one of the Lake County waters in Minnesota. The water sits 1,467 feet up. It measures about 32 acres, which is a comfortable size for bank fishing. About 1.2 miles of bank, so nothing stays unexplored for long. For supplies, Ely is 13 miles out. Babbitt is 23 miles and Hoyt Lakes 39 miles. It sits well inside its county, with no border complications.

• Where to Fish on Madden Lake

  Depth went unrecorded, which puts the reading back on you. Bays and points beat straight shoreline every time on water like this. Look for the band where the shallows give up and the bottom falls away. Lake County records list white sucker, yellow perch, northern pike and rainbow trout among the fish reported. Those are county-wide records, so not every one of them will be in this water. Fish Madden Lake to its features, not to its size.

• Seasonal Patterns

  In an average year July sits at 65°F and January at 3°F. The middle months are generous; the ends are demanding. The lid usually goes in late April, which opens the strongest weeks of the year. Open water usually runs from late April until about late November. Right after break-up, and again as the nights sharpen, is when to go. Plan any trip to Madden Lake around it.

• Tackle & Baits

  We have no record of the rules that apply on this bank. This is a natural basin, not a dammed one. The closest car park is 0.9 miles away, so pack accordingly. Largemouth respond to soft plastics tight to cover; go weedless where the growth is heavy. Rules differ from one water to the next round here. Rules for boats are stricter than rules for the bank in many places. Failing this one, try Wedge Lake, 0.8 miles away. The position on Madden Lake is worth confirming on the day.